Last time, Lot (Abraham’s nephew) escaped the destruction of Sodom, no thanks whatsoever to Uncle Abraham, who’d been warned that Sodom was about to be destroyed. Oh, and Lot then got his own daughters pregnant in a cave.
We’re back to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 20. Remember in Genesis 12, when Abraham whored his wife out to Pharaoh? Well, after that lucrative little adventure, Abraham decided to travel again.
Abraham (and Sarah) headed south to stay in Gerar for a while. He told everyone Sarah was his sister. Sound familiar?
This is how kings sent for people in those days -- an invitation you can't refuse. Artist unknown.
God visited Abimelech in a dream one night, some time later, and told him that He would kill Abimelech for taking someone’s wife. Abimelech defended himself, saying that both Abraham and Sarah had insisted they were brother and sister! So, God let him off the hook, after pointing out that He had prevented Abimelech from having his way with Sarah because He knew Abimelech didn’t understand Sarah was married.
Why would God tell Abimelech that He was going to kill him for a sin that God knew Abimelech didn’t commit, and in fact God actively prevented Abimelech from committing?
And why did God punish all the people of Garar (who were unable to have children the entire time Sarah was Abimelech’s wife/concubine) for something Abimelech didn’t do? Why do you think?
God told Abimelech to return Sarah to Abraham and that Abraham would pray for him, so the people of Garar would be healed of their infertility.
No plagues in this story, just infertility; but of course Abimelech was no Pharaoh.
Abimelech asks Abraham, 'WTF, dude?' in this 17th century Wenceslaus Hollar etching.
But here, Abraham adds to the story, insisting that he told the truth . . . and that he and Sarah were half-siblings (same father, different mother).
See? Incest IS Godly. Lot got his own daughters pregnant, and Abraham married his half-sister.
So, Abimelech took a page from Pharaoh’s book and gave Abraham livestock and slaves and a thousand pieces of silver.
And prostitution? Seems that’s OK as well.
If you were Abraham, and had personally met God on multiple occasions, and been made promises by God of protection and becoming a great nation, would you run about like a spineless coward and lie out of fear that someone would steal your wife? Why or why not?
What if you’d done that before and seen God smite the innocent person who tried to wed your wife? Wouldn’t you know the same would happen again?
Why do you think Abraham had so little faith? Or do you think he just liked making money off his beautiful wife/half-sister?